Proud to be
Elio Addict
Hi - so, my quick story. I'm actually not in the market for an Elio, but my 15 year old son is. I told him 2 years ago that he will have to earn enough money to purchase his own car. Even though I have the means, I want my sons to understand the value of hard work. Well, he spent hours researching cars online, looking for the most affordable, economical options...and that's how he became aware of the Elio, and he has been kind of fascinated ever since. So, when the Elio came to Cedar Rapids, it coincided with the fact that I needed to get over to Iowa City for something else anyway, so I brought my wife & son and we made a fun road trip out of it.
So, some impressions that might provide you all with some insights into how this might do when it comes to market.
My son: Loved it. Period. End of story. He's still smiling 2 days later.
My wife: She's very practical, so I assumed she would see the Elio as a bit of folly. I was wrong. She loved the styling, the small footprint, the low price point, and the 84 mpg. She also has a very good business mind, and her immediate impression was "they are going to sell a ton of these." We got home and did the StartEngine "IPO" for $10k.
Me: I don't see the Elio as something that I would want as my personal everyday vehicle because I just like a bit more sheet metal around me and storage room. I sat in both the front seat...very cool, but I felt like I needed more rear visibility than the two side mirrors provided. And then I sat in the rear seat...I am not claustrophobic, and I'm normal sized, but I personally couldn't handle being back there. The feeling that I was trapped was overwhelming to the point of near panic. If we buy one, and I suspect we will, I will never ride in the back. So, that confirmed for me that this is absolutely a one-person vehicle with the feature of a backseat to be used very sparingly and on rare occasions.
So, here is my thought - and a bit of a question. We have 2 teenager sons (15 & 16), both away at boarding schools, and soon college. They come home for the summer, and they need access to a vehicle (they will probably share). So, my wife and I are considering the Elio as a 3rd vehicle. When the boys need to drive for solo trips, maybe they take the Elio. When they need to transport other passengers, they can take one of our conventional cars, leaving the Elio for either my wife or I to drive. My question is whether or not the Elio is an appropriate vehicle for a teenager to operate. One thought that comes to mind is something I read years ago about teen drivers being most likely to have accidents when they are driving around with their friends in the car (probably the distraction factor). Elio kind of solves that, but maybe I'm trying to justify it
Final thought - I agree with my wife. The Elio has the potential to take the market by storm. The price is within reach for many, many people, the styling is cool, the gas mileage is insane. The biggest unknown factors for me are how much fun to drive it will be, and reliability. If it's an absolute hoot to drive, then it will sell. If it turns out to be reliable and mostly trouble free, it will sell. If the Elio nails both of these, it will sell in a very big way. Good luck Paul!
Welcome,
Thanks for joining us.. you can find all the information you want, on Elio Motors at this site...
Plus a lot of good people across this, soon to be Elio Nation...
Your question "is the Elio a appropriate vehicle for your kids"... Here's my take on that...
When you were 15-16 years old they did not have anything like this Autocycle... and in fact there is nothing else like Elio right now...
The point I am making, is that a Elio will have a 5 Star crash rating... with a built-in roll cage and Automotive Controls... your average old car will only have a 2-3 Star crash rating... I was kind of shocked to see all the big new cars that did not have a 5 Star crash rating on three sides... most new one's only have about a 3-4 Star ratings and cost three to four times the price of a safe new Elio...
Would you want your kids... " if " they got into a wreck... would you want them to have " New " vehicle with a 5 Star safety crash rating Roll Cage... and only costs $6800... Or would you like them in a used car... with no roll cage...
I know that this is a loaded question... Who would want their kids to drive around in a old car which would cost more then a Elio, with only a 2-3 Star crash rating, and NO roll cage... when you could have a New 5 Star crash rated.... Elio.... Plus they will get to join the Elio Nation like the rest of us and be a part of history....
I wonder if Henry Ford's first stock holders and first employees thought... " This is a start of new age of driving for all of us."
If you did put $10,000 down on Elio stock, then you do believe Elio is going to be BIG... you know this to be a fact... Or you could have just burned the $10K in the backyard Bar B Q for show and tell.... But you didn't.... you invested in what you believed in...
Just for a fun fact, find out just how many new/used vehicles, has a three sided 5 Star crash rating roll cage and get gets 84mpg... (none!)
As a another point, most of the parts of a Elio are going to " off shelf " parts, which means repair bills will be lower and easier to get.. unlike the $13,000 or more, you could spend on getting a good used car, which may soon need parts right after you drive it off the lot... plus the cost of insurance for teenagers is high, diving any car... But not so high, when driving a Autocycle....
I also believe the Elio is a one person/pet vehicle... so you may have to pass a few of them around for everyone in the house hold...
Keep believing, and get the word out, the Elio Nation will coming... soon... are you on board??
Proud to Be... member #2225Z of the Elio Nation... see ya on the road...
